ClutchFans Game Thread: Celtics @ Rockets 12/6/2005

you can't get assists when our players still miss wide-open jumpers.

 

all we need is a 5 win streak, then we will be fine for the rest of season.

 

a win for a change. great!

aside from our superstars, i love bowen's play. pure hustle! pure energy!

 

The oppsition has alot to do with it. plus the suns are a offensively loadrd team. we dont have that many scorers, hence less assists.

 

REVENGE ON LAFRENTZ!

 

I don't wish anybody bad luck, but unless you have a back problem, please don't even offer an opinion. Back pain is a b****. The back is the core of the human anatomy.

He's either a little hurt or he's hesitant (afraid of getting hurt). Either way, he's not at a full physical and mental level.

 

"I'm Havin' your baby!"

Gawd! Who was the father???

 

Thank you. I'm telling you, I'll be speaking Mandarin come playoff time.

What a ballsy performance from a clearly hobbled T-Mac. What more can be said about the guy? You know what they say about a wounded animal, they're like, dangerous and stuff.

 

That's the kind of team we've got. Remember the fracas after Mason tried to squat press Yao... Juwan Howard was all up in the grills of every single Hornet on the court. Likewise, don't forget Sura's takedown of Josh Howard after his roughing up of Yao back in Game 6 (I think) of the Mavericks series.

 

Too true. I've got titanium screws in my back, and it's a b****. I don't know how these guys compete at this level with back pain.

You might say I was screwed.

 

That's deep man

 

Work related injury? I didn't know that they put screws in after a surgery. I might have to get one done down the road. Did you pain get better?

Good Luck

 

Back problems basicaly resticts alot of the movements you normally do without hesitation. i've had a pinced nerve, you are trapped in a body that is not willing to do anything.

 

Just saw the box score. Nice win for the Rox!

 

Now imagine if he's, like, cornered as well as wounded.

Just damn.

 

man that was just a solid solid game defensively. I think the Rox pride kicked in and wanted revenge fpr the shellacking we took last time. Yao was a monster on the defensive end, I wish he'd play defense like that more often, didnt bite on the fakes, stayed on his feet, great positioning. WHat else can I say about TMax, the guy was phenomenal. Great win before the long ass road trip

 

Oops, I didn't realize posters here who had talked about TMac's back problem all had similar experience before.

Anyway, great performance of TMAC tonight. He played as his normal self. But this time it means more because it's after JVG said "Tracy and I would not tolerant this". Hope it be the turning point of the team.

 

[12.6.05] Houston vs. Boston Game Recap

Rockets Return Favor, Handily Beat Celtics 91-73

By Dennis L. Silva, II.
12.6.05


The last time the Houston Rockets saw the green and white of the Boston Celtics, they were walking off the floor after displaying, perhaps, their worst defensive effort of the season. Houston had allowed the Celtics to attain 102 points, shoot 46% from the field, and a grotesque 12-25 (48%) from the 3-point line. It’s funny how much of a difference six weeks can make. On Tuesday night, Boston waltzed into the Toyota Center to face the Rockets one last time this season, and were thoroughly manhandled in every facet of the game as the Rockets exhibited their best defensive effort of the season, defeating the Celtics 91-73 before 14,665.

Houston held an early 11-10 lead midway through the first quarter as Yao Ming paved the way with six early points. The Celtics, apparently having lost their formidable shooting touch, shot 4-17 to start the period, but Houston managed no better, hitting only 27% of their own shots to force an 18-18 tie heading into the second period.

It was during the second quarter in which the Rockets began to pull away. Houston scored seven consecutive points to start the period as Derek Anderson scored on a fast-break dunk, Luther Head hit a long 3-pointer, and Tracy McGrady scored on a layup off of a back cut. Houston’s lead sprung to 34-27 with 5:39 remaining as many of the Rockets came to life. McGrady showed more fluidity with his movements, slashing to the basket and showing more explosion than he had shown in previous games. Anderson made an impact on the defensive end, accumulating 3 steals and 9 points during his time on the floor. Head hit 2-2 from downtown, part of an fiery Rockets shooting display in which they hit 8-10 to start the quarter. The Rockets only fed off their early fuel, engaging in a 10-4 run within the half’s last three minutes to claim a 48-38 lead heading into halftime.

The Rockets’ defense held Boston to only 12-35 shooting in the first half, just a hair above 33$ from the floor. Houston’s newfound vibrance on offense allowed them to compile 11 first-half assists, commendable for a team who had entered the contest averaging 16 assists per. McGrady scored 16 points in the first half on 6-10 shooting, while Yao Ming scored only 6, but was a huge defensive presence on the inside, altering a plethora of Celtics shots while snaring five rebounds. Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 11 points, but also accumulated 3 fouls.

Houston’s offense continued to show signs of life as the Rockets went on an 11-4 run to earn a 59-42 lead midway through the third period. The Celtics went on a run of their own late in the quarter to close to within seven points, but Houston scored the final four points on the stanza to boat a 65-54 lead heading into the final twelve minutes of the game.

Boston never posed any real threat thereafter as Stromile Swift (11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks for the game) scored on a jump-hook, and McGrady hit a 3-pointer and a long 22-footer to stave off any Boston rally. Houston held a 76-61 lead with 7:36 remaining, and the penetration of McGrady and Luther Head (11 points, 3-5 3s, 4 assists) trey allowed Houston to get the lead as high as 19, and to an eventual 91-73 victory.

Boston shot 34% for the game, and never scored more than 20 points in a quarter. Houston, on the other hand, managed to show more ball and player movement with their offense and hit 44.7% from the field, and managed 19 assists compared to Boston’s total of 8. McGrady finished the game with 35 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists while shooting 14-20 from the field. All were clear signs that he is beginning to regain his rhythm. More importantly, the Rockets played with heart, determination, and pride. Players scrapped for loose balls, played smart, and battled for every possession. Ryan Bowen started the game and contributed 8 rebounds. Anderson, McGrady, and David Wesley hounded the backcourt of the Celtics into 19 turnovers due to their stifling defensive pressure. It wasn’t a perfect game by any means, but it was surely a long cry from the “effort” they displayed during the last contest against the Grizzlies.

The Rockets now go on a 6-game road trip that begins with a game against the Sacramento Kings Thursday night on TNT. The Rockets won’t play another home game until December 31, so this win was vital as far as confidence is concerned as the Rockets face the dreary winds of winter away from Houston.


ROCKETS RECAP

· Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 20 points, but was only 3-10 from the floor.
· Raef LaFrentz, who had torched the Rockets for 7-9 shooting from downtown in their previous meeting, was 0-2 from 23’9”, and 0-6 overall.
· Houston outrebounded Boston 43-36.
· The Rockets’ bench combined for 33 points- Anderson (10 points), Head (11), and Swift (11).
· Boston’s duo of Pierce and Ricky Davis entered the contest as one of the NBA’s most lethal offensive duos, averaging 48 points between them. However, against Houston, they compiled only 30 points on 8-22 shooting.

http://www.nba.com/games/20051206/BOSHOU/boxscore.html

 

VincentSchiavelli LOL

 

Certainly one of the better games of the year for the Rockets (not saying alot) But I will take any improvement. Swift looked better. Wesley and Anderson should not be allowed to shoot. They can't even make lay ups. I would have put Mutombo in the game just to put a knot on the head of the guy that put the hurt on Ming. TMac isn't all the way back, but he is on the road back. Flying Ryan was a factor, he is scary out there, looks like Big Bird.